Discovery Academy uses a variety of teaching methods and instructional strategies to emphasize thematic, inquiry-based, and discovery learning. The 5E Instructional Model - Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate - helps students build their own understanding from experiences and ideas. The teacher sets up problems and monitors student exploration, guides student inquiry and promotes new patterns of thinking.

As children become scientifically literate, they learn to solve problems by thinking creatively and critically. Through outdoor investigation, students begin to understand their environment and its problems. This type of inquiry-based instruction is infused into language arts, mathematics and social studies. Discovery Academy’s comprehensive and integrated approach prepares students to achieve success in a rapidly changing world.

Discovery Academy collaborates with community partners - including the Connecticut Science Center, the Children’s Science Museum and the Roaring Brook Nature Center - to develop a hands-on, inquiry-based and developmentally appropriate STEM curriculum.

Students participate in field studies at these locations and outreach programs bring these learning opportunities into our classrooms. These high-quality experiences integrate science into our curriculum and provide practical applications of classroom learning.

Special Features:

Opportunities for field studies with community partners

Full-day Preschool and Kindergarten programming

Comprehensive STEM curriculum

State-of-the art classrooms

Before and after care available for students

Instruction by a well-trained and diverse staff

State-of-the-art facility

Grades Served:

Discovery Academy enrolls children in Pre K who will be 3 by December of the current year of enrollment. Children enrolled in the Pre K program are guaranteed placement through Grade 5. The Early Childhood faculty consists of certified early childhood teachers. Each classroom also has the support of a paraprofessional.